1) Sunnyside Methodist Dining Hall Renovation – Karen speaking as Sunnyside Swap Shop facilitator and church liaison requests $200 from the SNA to show neighborhood support and help them secure a matching grant. Karen thought the SwapShop could contribute $200, and felt it is reasonable for the SNA to contribute $200.

The grant the church members are seeking will fund the replacement of the water heater, dishwasher and cabinets and enable new floors, repairing of stoves. When it’s done, it will hopefully last another 50 years.

Bill believes is is reasonable if it fits SNA guidelines and fiscal responsibilities.

Reuben: Notes that we don’t get very many requests, and generally they are on the order of this magnitude.

Heather requests for an abridged budget tutorial to ensure funds are being allocated properly and within guidelines. Reuben says that during his tenure (5 years), there have been only a handful of such requests: The Mt. Tabor concerts, The Gulliver’s Travels movie, tree planting, a gift for SEUL (totaling $765) and $1300 to Blair Garden

Bill makes motion that SNA donates $200 to the church to help them receive a matching grant for kitchen renovations. Gina seconds. Motion carries with 5 ayes. Karen and Heather abstain from the vote.

2 – Representatives of the International Leadership Academy detail reasons why they would love to open the French School in the Methodist Church on Yamhill.

Run by a University professor at PSU, the school would take kids age 4-7, beginning with a staggered arrival at 7 a.m. School officially ends at 3:30, but after school care continues until 6:30 p.m. with a staggered dismissal.

The goal is that most students would come from the neighborhood and that the school will bring a valued service to the neighborhood, teaching much more than French. Please visit www.ila-pdx.org for more information.

The initial goal is to house no more than 30 students. The tuition is set for those with moderate means, and once established, the goal is to obtain scholarships from the French ministry for students of French heritage and then expand beyond those parameters.

Heather expressed concerns about all of the car traffic coming into the area with all of the different uses now at the church.

Karen stated there is a rotating schedule through the gym and other church facilities, in an effort to make sure that even on a rainy day, every kid has a place to be. She also stated the gym was underutilized during the week.

ILA reps said that eventually they hope to be a larger school, in a larger facility, but the church would be able to replace us because the church building would retain the permit necessary to house a school, which could mean greater resources for public school kids in addition to SES as well as an aftercare program, which reaches capacity at SES quite quickly.

2—Neighborhood Crime Report: Tom Rhoades, of PDX Police says he has no crime stats to provide, but he is here to take concerns.

Josh – Asked him if there is anything to be done re: homeless folks at 35th and Alder, who have hanging out drinking on the side of the street. Tom said that anytime you see someone drinking in public like that, call the non-emergency hotline. They can be cited and detoxed.

Josh also mentioned that friends had a rather expensive stroller stolen right there on Alder, off of their porch. Tom says that if people don’t lock stuff up on their porches, they can and frequently are, taken.

3 – Update on the non-conforming sewer situation. Reuben reported that roughly 100 households have non-conforming sewers according to BES. They were asked to pay money to have a proper sewer put in the street, not including hookup fees and permit costs.

Reuben has been in touch with officials, and BES and City Commissioner Dan Saltzman have decided to do things differently. Reuben said he has a meeting with Saltzman next week and will keep us informed.

Reuben reported that people felt blindsided by the city letters and like they weren’t given any options other than to pay X amount. They are wondering whether any action is necessary. Nonconforming sewers include party line and private line in the public right of way., which is not in the city’s books, and has been working for at least a century.

Neighbors are asking for better communication and to participate at some level. All are sensitive to the need to be proactive and bring sewers up to code before they break. But the present process is flawed.

4. Committee Reports:

Sustainability Committee.

Reuben said they are shifting from Emergency Preparedness, back into transition neighborhoods. We are working in the background, slowly and steadily how our neighborhood could wean ourselves off of fossil fuels.

Land use and Transportation –

Tony said he was the only one to attend the LUTC meeting this month. He went to a SEUL meeting last month and asked what can be done about the Walgreen’s situation. Their main suggestion was for the SNA to draft a note and submit a non-supporting document, but Tony hasn’t heard anything about the permit yet.

SEUL –

Heather mentioned that the Willamette Pedestrian coalition is in the process of contacting all Neighborhood Associations about the state of walkability in the city.

Heather says SEUL wants to know about parking violations, blocking intersections, etc. She also learned that Commissioner Amanda Fritz wants to be invited to neighborhood functions. We discussed inviting her to the Street Fair.

Heather said SEUL wants to know if they increased their budget to have a paid neighborhood staff member, how NA would feel about that.

SEUL also wants us to document community volunteer hours better. If we included that on our check in list, PDX would have a higher ranking for volunteer hours, which would increase eligibility for grants and other things.

Treasurer’s report–

Josh: Met with Jane, former treasurer and will have a report for us next month.

5. Roger: Asked the Board to help Save the Hawthorne mural and reported the potential destruction of a tree on 29th and Taylor. The owner wished to cut it, but surrounding neighbors want it to remain. A meeting was set for July 21 to discuss the fate of the 100-year-old Deodar Cedar.

2 – Representatives of the International Leadership Academy detail reasons why they would love to open the French School in the Methodist Church on Yamhill.

Run by a University professor at PSU, the school would take kids age 4-7, beginning with a staggered arrival at 7 a.m. School officially ends at 3:30, but after school care continues until 6:30 p.m. with a staggered dismissal.

The goal is that most students would come from the neighborhood and that the school will bring a valued service to the neighborhood, teaching much more than French. Please visit www.ila-pdx.org for more information.

The initial goal is to house no more than 30 students. The tuition is set for those with moderate means, and once established, the goal is to obtain scholarships from the French ministry for students of French heritage and then expand beyond those parameters.

Heather expressed concerns about all of the car traffic coming into the area with all of the different uses now at the church.

Karen stated there is a rotating schedule through the gym and other church facilities, in an effort to make sure that even on a rainy day, every kid has a place to be. She also stated the gym was underutilized during the week.

ILA reps said that eventually they hope to be a larger school, in a larger facility, but the church would be able to replace us because the church building would retain the permit necessary to house a school, which could mean greater resources for public school kids in addition to SES as well as an aftercare program, which reaches capacity at SES quite quickly.

2—Neighborhood Crime Report: Tom Rhoades, of PDX Police says he has no crime stats to provide, but he is here to take concerns.

Josh – Asked him if there is anything to be done re: homeless folks at 35th and Alder, who have hanging out drinking on the side of the street. Tom said that anytime you see someone drinking in public like that, call the non-emergency hotline. They can be cited and detoxed.

Josh also mentioned that friends had a rather expensive stroller stolen right there on Alder, off of their porch. Tom says that if people don’t lock stuff up on their porches, they can and frequently are, taken.

3 – Update on the non-conforming sewer situation. Reuben reported that roughly 100 households have non-conforming sewers according to BES. They were asked to pay money to have a proper sewer put in the street, not including hookup fees and permit costs.

Reuben has been in touch with officials, and BES and City Commissioner Dan Saltzman have decided to do things differently. Reuben said he has a meeting with Saltzman next week and will keep us informed.

Reuben reported that people felt blindsided by the city letters and like they weren’t given any options other than to pay X amount. They are wondering whether any action is necessary. Nonconforming sewers include party line and private line in the public right of way., which is not in the city’s books, and has been working for at least a century.

Neighbors are asking for better communication and to participate at some level. All are sensitive to the need to be proactive and bring sewers up to code before they break. But the present process is flawed.

4. Committee Reports:

Sustainability Committee.

Reuben said they are shifting from Emergency Preparedness, back into transition neighborhoods. We are working in the background, slowly and steadily how our neighborhood could wean ourselves off of fossil fuels.

Land use and Transportation –

Tony said he was the only one to attend the LUTC meeting this month. He went to a SEUL meeting last month and asked what can be done about the Walgreen’s situation. Their main suggestion was for the SNA to draft a note and submit a non-supporting document, but Tony hasn’t heard anything about the permit yet.

SEUL –

Heather mentioned that the Willamette Pedestrian coalition is in the process of contacting all Neighborhood Associations about the state of walkability in the city.

Heather says SEUL wants to know about parking violations, blocking intersections, etc. She also learned that Commissioner Amanda Fritz wants to be invited to neighborhood functions. We discussed inviting her to the Street Fair.

Heather said SEUL wants to know if they increased their budget to have a paid neighborhood staff member, how NA would feel about that.

SEUL also wants us to document community volunteer hours better. If we included that on our check in list, PDX would have a higher ranking for volunteer hours, which would increase eligibility for grants and other things.

Treasurer’s report–

Josh: Met with Jane, former treasurer and will have a report for us next month.

5. Roger: Asked the Board to help Save the Hawthorne mural and reported the potential destruction of a tree on 29th and Taylor. The owner wished to cut it, but surrounding neighbors want it to remain. A meeting was set for July 21 to discuss the fate of the 100-year-old Deodar Cedar.